UK digital album sales total ten million

The Official Charts Company has revealed that ten million digital albums have been downloaded in the UK already this year, CMU has reported.

This figure is up from the 7.1 million that were downloaded at the same point in 2010. However, physical CDs still account for 80 per cent of album sales in the country.

Official Charts Company MD Martin Talbot told CMU: "These figures amount to 59,000 digital albums a day on average this year, compared to 42,000 in the first six months of 2010. By the end of last year, 16.7 million digital albums had been sold in the UK; at that rate, the market total should soar beyond 20 million sales by the end of this year. It is also true, however, that we should prepare for digital albums to co-exist with physical albums for some time to come. With digital accounting for just 22 per cent of all albums sold, CD continues to be the mass market favourite. At this stage in the life-cycle of the digital single, physical sales had declined to less than 10 per cent. In comparison, the CD album will be around for plenty of time to come".